Queen's Consort
by JohnnyStyle
Summary: On Illium Shepard meet an Asari who had a new found purpose in her life. Now that Asari is headed home to the Rachni Queen. Rated M due to the depiction of a relation ship between humanoid and non-humanoid sentient beings.


Queen's Consort

She was being sung home again. The Asari listened and inputted the co-ordinates, soon she would forget them again. She didn't mind though, as there were children to protect and rebuilding to be done. She hoped the materials she had acquired on this trip would be useful. She smiled as two ships came to her to escort her during the final leg. Many pirates and mercenaries trying to set up bases in this cluster had been surprised to say the least when they found it already claimed.

The landing went smoothly and the children unloaded the cargo quickly. The Asari sighed she had never before felt so content. Her life before was empty and meaningless. Now she was helping a people rebuild from the brink of extinction. It was so fulfilling. Yet when she went out in the galaxy she couldn't help but feel lonely. With that in mind she rushed out of the ship and down into the caverns. She sprinted all the way to the chamber of the Rachni Queen.

The queen sung to her in greeting. It was such a wonderful way to describe the way the Rachni talk. The Asari felt her mind fill with her presence. The song roughly equated to asking her about her travels, and the name the Rachni queen had given her. How she wished she could translate it, but it was more of a feeling, if she could find a word that conveyed that feeling she would finally get rid of the empty name that was all that remained of her old life.

"Well," she said even though she didn't need to, as the song was a duet. "I had no trouble in obtaining what was needed, it seems the citadel council is still dragging it's feet and the governments in the terminus systems still just do everything in opposition to them."

Now was the queen's part of the continued song, the notes for friend was so melodic and those for warrior strong. The Asari nodded.

"She is pleased to see the Rachni thriving," the Asari explained. "But you knew that already, don't think I didn't feel the gentle caress of your notes on Illium."

Bells of laughter were added to the song. This continued mock argument had become something of a joke, the Asari knew the when the Queen used her body to sing to the galaxy she we never be harmed and the Queen knew consent was given in every case.

"She seemed worried that the reapers soured your people's song," the Asari said. "I think she suspects the collectors have suffered the same fate."

Cymbals clash, fear, war, drums, Krogan, screech, fear, despair, silence for death.

"It's okay," the Asari said. "There is none of that here, only life, peace and tranquillity."

The sound of a forest growing, a chirp of an insect on a summer's day and the babbling of a waterfall were added to the song. It seemed the queen agreed.

"Oh Shepard tracked me down again before I left," The Asari added realising she had forgotten something while wrapped in the song. "She had to, well destroy more lost Rachni. She wanted me to convey her apologies as she has been forced to work with the people who soured their songs, she wished there was a better way in both cases."

Now the song solely focused on emotions, regret at not being able to sing the lost ones home and honour at Shepard being the one to carry the grim task out. Then compassion and frustration came.

"I know," The Asari reached out and caressed the Queen's side. "But we need to make sure you and the children are safe first, make sure the galaxy will await your emergence with excitement rather than fear, then the Rachni can do such things as offer aid to human colonies."

Impatience, this is where the Asari always got a glimpse of the Rachni's higher notes. For as a species they were linked across the gulf of space, communication instantaneous. Every time the Asari heard the notes for the opposite of that, well she was beginning to understand but she doubted she could explain it in anyway.

"The children are industrious and hard working," the Asari stated. "I'm sure it will be sooner than you think, perhaps we will have this fleet to aid your spectre friend."

Strange how embarrassment seemed like that ludicrous human device, the whoopee cushion, being used to it's full effect. Quickly though the song moved onto love. The emotion flowed over the Asari. A child's hug, hand holding, a moan elicited from a lover, it was so complex. It even had components the Asari felt she would never comprehend unless she was Rachni. Pride was mixed in, the sound of the first foot fall on an unexplored world. The Queen shifted and then began walking somewhere, the Asari followed.

They left the Queen's camber and entered an egg chamber. As they walked along a safe path the sounds of a hatching reverberated through. After sometime they came upon the hatching egg by the side of the path. The Asari decided to sit and watch and the Rachni Queen indulged her. After sometime the young creature finally broke free.

"Welcome to the world little one," the Asari greeted as she got up to continue along the path. Hope was all the queen sang. That hatching sound mixed with those of love. It was what she always sung if she witnessed a birthing herself. One of the Queen's long tentacles looped around the Asari and then deposited her onto the Rachni's back. They entered another chamber and saw what the Queen wanted her to see.

It was a small house built up on a small escarpment. In fact when the Queen set her down she was at the same height as the other beings sensory organs. Comfortable looking chair sat next to the doorway. The tendrils that the Rachni used to grasp gently nudged the Asari into it. Sitting down the Asari finally remembered how weary she was, her excitement at been reunited with the queen overcoming anything else.

"Did the children build this for me?"

The Rachni shifted a bit, her song became strange, a stuttering of colours and feelings.

"You built this yourself?" The Asari asked. "Why?"

The song played the image of the cramped ship, a yowl of loneliness and a tittering of worry.

"Well aren't you thoughtful," the Asari said. "I thank you for the hard work you put into the dwelling, it is good to have this to come home to."

Joy, the rush as a ship flies into the air, breaks atmosphere and proceeds to activate its mass effect drive. It was an image universal to all space faring species, perhaps that would be the common ground when the day came that the Rachni could stand with the rest of the galaxy.

The Asari's eyes lidded and her thoughts turned to finding out how comfortable her new home's bed was. The Queen reached over with the tendril and gentle caressed the bipeds cheek. The Asari smile and then held the appendage there with her hand hoping to prolong the contact.

"When this is done and you have aided Shepard in her fight," she began. "I want to open my mind to you completely, you who have given me purpose, life and even in some small way a family. I wish to share everything that is me with you oh beautiful being and I hope you can do the same with me"

The Rachni queen moved her tendril down to the Asari's belly and stroked.

"Yes one day," the Asari said. "If you would consent, I would like to give you a daughter. Oh think of the songs she would sing."

The Asari heard mountains growing as the Queen thought deeply, such as it was in the Rachni's song. A yawn pulled the queen back to reality. Her tendril urged the Asari towards the door.

"Yes, yes sleep, rest and recuperate," the Asari said. "I look forward to your visit tomorrow."

The Queen was content to just sit and wait until, her friend, confidant, ally and consort drifted into dreams.


End file.
